Jakarta, 2 June 2025 — Dr. Sutan Emir Hidayat, Director for Islamic Economic Supporting Ecosystem at the National Committee for Islamic Economy and Finance (KNEKS), attended an Exclusive Dinner Dialogue titled “Indonesia’s Islamic Finance Landscape”, hosted by the British Embassy in Jakarta on Monday evening (2 June), in conjunction with the visit of Naz Shah MP, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Indonesia and ASEAN.
The event served as a strategic forum to strengthen bilateral relations and explore synergies between Indonesia and the United Kingdom in developing the Islamic economy and finance sector. The open and constructive discussion covered several key topics, including Indonesia’s stance on the harmonization of international standards in Islamic finance, progress on the drafting of the Islamic Economy Act, and the relevance of Islamic economic values within the context of Indonesia’s accession process to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
In his remarks, Dr. Emir reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to building a globally competitive Islamic economic ecosystem. He emphasized the importance of aligning Indonesian Islamic economic and financial regulations with the international standards such as IFSB and AAOIFI, while maintaining the integrity of local values and the objectives of sharia (maqashid shariah) as foundational principles.
Dr. Emir also highlighted that the draft of Islamic Economy Act has been officially included in the 2025–2029 National Legislative Program (Prolegnas), marking a significant step toward consolidating regulations across Islamic finance, the halal industry, and Islamic social funds. He underlined the importance of international dialogue in enriching the policy development process.
It is hoped that the strategic discussions during the dialogue will serve as a basis for strengthening future collaboration between Indonesia and the United Kingdom in the development of the Islamic economic sector. The shared commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation is expected to contribute meaningfully to inclusive and sustainable economic growth in both countries. The meeting was also attended by Muhammad Kholid, a member of Indonesian House of Representatives and Niall Ahern, Country Director, Business Trade & Investment, British Embassy in Jakarta.